Sparks and Flames
by halsteadslindsay
Summary: A fluffy pre 2.11 linstead piece!


**Timeline: Before 2.11**

 **A/N: We could all use a little fluff in our lives right now, so I wrote this kind of AU piece! This is the first thing I have ever written, so please be kind, but I do hope you enjoy it! Reviews are always welcome!**

They had both convinced themselves they were not on a date.

The only reason why they were even there was because Antonio purchased the concert tickets back when Laura and him were still okay, and he didn't want them to go to waste, so he had given them to Jay. And who else was Jay supposed to bring besides Erin? He had played it off as something casual as he asked her if she wanted to go with him the next night to a concert in Grant Park when they were driving to a crime scene, and surprisingly she had agreed.

In fact, Jay's rationale for slipping his hand into Erin's grip in the first place was because he was afraid he would lose her in the sea of the people entering the park. But soon after they had entered, the pair left the crowds behind, and yet their fingers remained intertwined. This was not because the heat they both felt coursing through their hands felt magical, not at all. And the only reason their sides were pressed against each other was in an effort to 'conserve heat'. They certainly had not prepared for the weather to drop into the 50s on what had been a warm July day so far. But with Erin's head rested on his shoulder as they waited to enter the area where the concert would be, Jay felt more content than he had in awhile. He could feel the warmth from her body seeping into him, and in that moment he wanted nothing more than to turn his head, lift her chin, and attach his lips to hers, but he didn't. This was not the first time he had experienced these feelings, in reality it was far from it.

The first time he had felt the spark Erin's fingers created on his skin was the night they had ditched her high school reunion, and they went to get drinks and talk instead. Her arm was resting on the table with her hand hanging off the side, the pull he felt toward her was too strong to resist, so he slipped his hand into hers. It didn't matter that their fingers were not intertwined, he still felt it, and smiles soon took over their faces.

They sat in silence until the words "we can't" were spoken by Erin, but the smile still tugged at the corners of her lips.

Jay knew nothing would happen between them that night because of Voight's threat that if a relationship ever started between them, one of them would have to transfer. So instead of saying anything he would regret later, Jay stood up and said, "Come on. Let's get you home". But in the process of rising from their chairs Erin and Jay's bodies were drawn to each other, and it felt like the world around them stood still as they stared into the other's eyes.

The spell was broken when Erin said "Maybe one day." The only thing Jay could think of in reply was "Oh, definitely". That occasion was the first time he had felt it, and he knew he would not be able to live without feeling it again.

The second time he felt the spark Erin's fingers created, he was drunk. The case they had just solved was a hard one for the both of them, but the victim being an Army Ranger only made it worse for him. The whole unit headed to Molly's after their shift ended with the exception of Erin. She just wanted to go take a hot shower and sleep to forget this day ever happened. This did not seem to work in her favour because Herrmann called Erin at two am that night, rousing her from bed. When she answered the phone she was still in a sleep like trance, but as she heard his voice on the other side of the line she began to feel nothing but worry.

When she arrived at the bar she found Jay laughing at something Herrmann had said, the alcohol had certainly helped him to loosen up, and she felt a smile tug at her lips as she walked over to where he was siting. His laugh always had the ability to do that.

Jay felt the pressure from her hand on his shoulder and the heard the words "come on drunky" slip from her lips, and she grabbed his hand to lead him from the bar. Although he was blackout drunk, he still felt the spark in that moment, even if he wouldn't remember this entire encounter in the morning.

This time at the park was not the third time, or even the fourth. After feeling that indescribable spark that coursed through his entire body the second their hands touched for the first time, he made every excuse to feel it again. During an undercover operation he had slipped their hands together and his reasoning was that it would make them more convincing as a couple. Another time he grabbed her hand to help her up from the ground after a suspect had knocked her down, knowing perfectly well she did not need it. He also may have held her grip longer than he needed to, but Erin did not seem to mind. In fact, she craved these moments where she could feel the electricity coursing from his body into hers just as much as Jay did. There had been countless moments like this that occurred over the next few month, and they were what brought Erin to agree to Jay's offer to see the concert together, secretly hoping that maybe something would happen that night.

They entered the area of the park that was closed off from the public, and Jay spread her blanket on the ground so they could sit. She was forced to sit in front of him because of the amount of other people around him, but she craved any type of contact from Jay. She slowly began to inch back towards him, and when Jay realized what she was doing he spread his legs and pulled her into the space that had created. They both realized the way they were sitting was no where near professional, but they couldn't find it in themselves to care.

The music had been wonderful, and they both had enjoyed their night more than they cared to admit. Jay had slipped their hands together after putting the blanket she had brought back into her bag, and he didn't let go until he opened the car door for her. The passenger side for once, as he had somehow convinced her to let him drive after he had picked her up at her apartment. The drive back to drop her off seemed to fly by, but neither of them wanted the night to be over.

An offer was extended for Jay to come up into her apartment, and he agreed a little faster than he should have. As they walked into her building, Jay's hand was itching to reach for hers, but he kept it safely inside his pocket until they walked in.

Erin grabbed two beers from the fridge, popped the tops off, and then headed into her living room where she knew Jay was waiting. She smiled as she watched him look around the room for anything that had changed since he had last been there, as it had been a while. She handed him his beer and then went to sit on the arm of the sofa.

They drank in a comfortable silence until Jay broke it by saying, "I had a wonderful time with you tonight."

He set down his finished beer on the coffee table before walking over to stand in front of her. It occurred to her then that their positions from the last time he had been in her apartment, when Voight had interrupted them to talk to her about Justin, that the memories of how much she wanted to kiss Jay that night came flooding back.

She set down the beer she was still drinking on the arm of the sofa, next to where she was sitting, and pushed herself up. When Jay realized what she had done their faces were mere inches away from each other. He saw her glance down towards his lips and he couldn't help but mirror her action. Their heads simultaneously moved closer to each other, and all they could feel was the other's warm breath on their skin before their lips finally touched.

They both had no idea anything could feel like this. The sparks had been amazing, but what they felt now were not sparks, they was flames.


End file.
